于是城里的特洛伊人就像受惊的小鹿一样，靠着漂亮的城垛，擦干身上的汗，喝水解渴，而亚该亚人肩上扛着盾牌，向城墙靠近。但严酷的命运让赫克托耳呆在了伊留斯和斯加恩城门前。菲比斯·阿波罗对珀琉斯的儿子说:“珀琉斯的儿子，你不过是个凡人，为什么要追逐我这个永生的人呢?”难道你还没有发现你如此狂热地追求的是一个神吗?你没有骚扰被你击溃的特洛伊人，现在他们在他们的城墙内，而你被诱骗到这里远离他们。你不能杀死我，因为死亡不能控制我。”阿喀琉斯非常生气，他说:“你让我退缩了，远方的飞镖，所有神中最恶毒的，你把我从墙上拉了出来。换了别人，他在进入伊利乌斯体内之前，早就被咬死了。你夺去了我的荣耀，你拯救了特洛伊人，而你自己没有任何危险，因为你没有什么可害怕的，但如果我有能力的话，我确实会报复的。”就这样，他怀着坚定的决心奔向城市，就像在战车比赛中获胜的马在飞越平原时绷紧了每一条神经一样，阿喀琉斯的四肢也带着他飞快地向前跑去。普里阿摩斯国王是第一个注意到他的，因为他在平原上搜寻，浑身散发着光芒，就像人们所说的猎户的猎犬，在收获的时候，它发出的光芒比任何其他夜晚发出的光芒都要明亮; brightest of them all though he be, he yet bodes ill for mortals, for he brings fire and fever in his train- even so did Achilles' armour gleam on his breast as he sped onwards. Priam raised a cry and beat his head with his hands as he lifted them up and shouted out to his dear son, imploring him to return; but Hector still stayed before the gates, for his heart was set upon doing battle with Achilles. The old man reached out his arms towards him and bade him for pity's sake come within the walls. "Hector," he cried, "my son, stay not to face this man alone and unsupported, or you will meet death at the hands of the son of Peleus, for he is mightier than you. Monster that he is; would indeed that the gods loved him no better than I do, for so, dogs and vultures would soon devour him as he lay stretched on earth, and a load of grief would be lifted from my heart, for many a brave son has he reft from me, either by killing them or selling them away in the islands that are beyond the sea: even now I miss two sons from among the Trojans who have thronged within the city, Lycaon and Polydorus, whom Laothoe peeress among women bore me. Should they be still alive and in the hands of the Achaeans, we will ransom them with gold and bronze, of which we have store, for the old man Altes endowed his daughter richly; but if they are already dead and in the house of Hades, sorrow will it be to us two who were their parents; albeit the grief of others will be more short-lived unless you too perish at the hands of Achilles. Come, then, my son, within the city, to be the guardian of Trojan men and Trojan women, or you will both lose your own life and afford a mighty triumph to the son of Peleus. Have pity also on your unhappy father while life yet remains to him- on me, whom the son of Saturn will destroy by a terrible doom on the threshold of old age, after I have seen my sons slain and my daughters haled away as captives, my bridal chambers pillaged, little children dashed to earth amid the rage of battle, and my sons' wives dragged away by the cruel hands of the Achaeans; in the end fierce hounds will tear me in pieces at my own gates after some one has beaten the life out of my body with sword or spear-hounds that I myself reared and fed at my own table to guard my gates, but who will yet lap my blood and then lie all distraught at my doors. When a young man falls by the sword in battle, he may lie where he is and there is nothing unseemly; let what will be seen, all is honourable in death, but when an old man is slain there is nothing in this world more pitiable than that dogs should defile his grey hair and beard and all that men hide for shame." The old man tore his grey hair as he spoke, but he moved not the heart of Hector. His mother hard by wept and moaned aloud as she bared her bosom and pointed to the breast which had suckled him. "Hector," she cried, weeping bitterly the while, "Hector, my son, spurn not this breast, but have pity upon me too: if I have ever given you comfort from my own bosom, think on it now, dear son, and come within the wall to protect us from this man; stand not without to meet him. Should the wretch kill you, neither I nor your richly